Ready set GO!

Weekend is here and so is your horse show… your nerves, your fear of failure? We’re sharing some tips to get you to the ring calm and collected.

Hey! My name is Sofie Luyten, your blogger for Equlifestyle and passionate amateur showjumper so we might share a mutual feeling of excitement and anxiety when a show approaches. Let me share with you some tips and tricks that can make you feel more comfortable for the show.

Prep is your first step!Preparation is key, if you want to do well at the show you must train during the week. By training I don’t necessarily mean an intense 2-hour workout with your horse. The most important thing for me is that my horse is happy, so during the week I alternate exercising in the ring with nice walks in the woods. Exercising can be working on ground poles, jumping a bigger track or keeping them nice and flexible with some dressage work.

My tip for workouts: Instagram – rafaelcollares

If you scroll down some of his videos you will find some nice examples of how to keep your horse in good shape. Thank you for inspiring us Rafael!

The day of the show

Make sure your horse is groomed properly and feels fit to perform. If you aren’t sure about lines or certain jumps in the ring ask a good friend. I tend to only take advice from a few people that know me and my horse well. Too many opinions might distract you and leave you undecided.
Start to warm up in time and be thoughtful of the others in the warm up, you are not alone.
One good tip I received from Annette Paterakis is to breathe. Focus on you breathing and connection with your horse… that’s already 70% of the stress gone in my opinion. Don’t feel like you have to focus on a lot of things, pick one thing you want to do right that round and stick to it.

So if you feel you could use a little more inspiration for your mental game follow annette_paterakis to get some extra tips and tricks!

In the equestrian world things can always go wrong whether you are at a regional show or at the Olympics. If the results don’t show immediately don’t panic! Good things take time, horses take more time. A successful equestrian takes the time to let his horse process what he’s learned.

I see a lot of people blaming their horse for bad results, however I dare to say that in most cases it’s better to look at what you could have done better. Watch your video or have a pair of eyes on the ground, it will clarify a lot of things. Learn from your results, discuss your setbacks with your trainer or mental coach and keep going. No matter what happens… keep going!

Moving forward

I have been very fortunate to train with a lot of good riders but I think training with Quentin Judge has had the most impact on me. Attitude is more than talent. If you can keep a good attitude to those around you as well as to your four-legged friends you will see life gets much easier. Don’t be afraid to work hard for your goals, try to take an internship with top riders I can assure you it will be a life changing experience.

One last thing before you go into the ring…
“Eyes up and smile”! For some reason it instantly puts you in a positive mood and by keeping your eyes up you focus more. Remember we are all passionate about our sport so enjoy the ride as much as you can.